If one tries to analyse world’s most used search engine, Google, it would be surprising to know that, one single Google search query consumes 2 to 8 watt-hours of energy. If we average this out to 4.5 watt hours per query, and consider Google is easily handling 400 million queries a day, then we can see 1,800,000,000 (1.8 billion) watt-hours of energy being used daily just for basic search queries. It is almost like Google Complex itself uses the same amount of power as 3,333 California homes.
Now the next question that arises is why are we talking about it? The answer is, to add momentum to the green revolution. ICT seems to be that all-encompassing answer which is leading the way towards switching to green. But even adoption of ICT for going green has its own set of issues. Though it is surely showing the way forward when it comes to cutting down on the consumption of non-renewable sources of energy, but the other side of the coin is that the ICT sector is infact the highest contributor to environmental degradation through emission of green house gases.
Transition to sources of alternate energy seems to be the survival mantra today. Alternate sources of energy in the sense of renewable sources of energy are being preferred now-a-days not only because they are replenishable and increasingly becomingly affordable but also because they provide for an effective means of environmental conservation. As a matter of fact, ‘Green’ sources of energy also can be termed as a smart way of existence in the current times of recession and global warming, because except for the initial cost of installation, switching to green sources of energy can prove to be quiet cost-effective and environmental friendly step in the long term.
In this issue it is our endeavour to bring forth a whole range of issues around going green, be it the switch to alternate energy covered in the cover article, ‘The Time For Action’, or be it about managing grounds like ‘ICT Adoption: Showing the way forward to green’, ‘Going Green with Data’ and ‘Green Mobile Phones’.
We would be glad to have your feedback on this issue of egov magazine.
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